Fernando Llorente Odds On To Join Chelsea

Chelsea's surprise move for Swansea's Fernando Llorente appears to be gathering pace as the striker is now 1/4 to sign for the Blues before 3rd February (Sky Bet)...

A Surprise Move?

Antonio Conte has identified Llorente as the perfect foil for Diego Costa as he looks for someone who is capable of leading the line as a lone forward. Llorente may have scored just six goals for Swansea this season and he may be getting on in years but he is a player who Conte can trust.

The 31-year-old scored sixteen goals to help Juventus win the Serie A title when Conte was manager of the Italian giants during the 2013/14 season and he appears to be a perfect short term foil for Costa.

The Spaniard would likely be restricted to appearances from the bench or whenever Costa is absent but he could prove to be an ideal short-term signing for the Premier League leaders.

Where Next For Batshuayi?

Llorente is now out to 11/4 to stay at Swansea (SkyBet.com) and a move to Chelsea appears to be imminent, although Michy Batshuayi could yet move the other way on loan to gain more top-flight experience.

The 23-year-old forward has played just 398 minutes of football for the Blues this season and it is telling that Conte has opted to use Eden Hazard in a 'False Nine' position when Costa has been absent.

Batshuayi did score in Chelsea's 4-1 FA Cup win over Peterborough at the weekend but Conte is keen for him to gain more first team game time with the Swans, who are 4/7 to be his club on the 3rd February (Sky Bet Bookmakers).

However, Batshuayi is understood to be reluctant to uproot to South Wales to join the struggling Swans and West Ham's apparent interest could yet complicate the Llorente deal.

The Hammers are 5/2 to be Batshuayi's club when the transfer window closes.